Free Blood Like Poison by M. Leighton

did either.  I needed to be a part of the squad.  I needed cheerleading.  I couldn’t be the one who stood up to her.

Ignoring both voices, I headed for class. 

“T, wait up!”

“Ugh,” I murmured under my breath. 

Drew.  I’d forgotten all about him.

I turned and saw him jogging to catch up to me.  When he reached me, I plastered a smile on my face, as natural a smile as I could muster. 

“Hey.”

“Where were you all weekend?  I tried to call you,” he said, frowning.  “Did you get my messages?”

“Sorry, I haven’t even had a chance to check them yet,” I confessed, which was partially true.  More to the point, I hadn’t taken the time to check them.  I’d wanted to put it off as long as possible.  “Dad was home.  You know how that goes,” I said, rolling my eyes dramatically.

“Oh, yeah,” Drew said, curling his lip sympathetically.  “So, what are you doing tonight after practice?”

Bo’s face flashed through my head.  I was hoping to hear from him, but even as the thought ran through my mind, I felt guilty, like I was betraying Drew.  Even though I knew in my head and in my heart that it was over, I’d been remiss in not letting Drew in on that little fact.  I’d been so consumed with Bo, Drew just hadn’t crossed my mind, and that wasn’t right.  He deserved better than that.

I didn’t want to make up an excuse.  He might see right through that.  But I also didn’t want to keep going on as if nothing was wrong.  Thankfully, the bell rang, saving me from having to make any kind of decision until later. 

Drew bent to kiss me and I gave him a quick peck and dashed off, calling over my shoulder, “I gotta go.  I’m gonna be late.”

As I settled into my desk in Calculus, I was sort of amazed at how much Bo had affected me in a few short days.  He took up a surprising amount of my available brain space and was apparently working his way into my heart space as well, pushing out people I’d thought were firmly entrenched there. 

I used to really like Drew and, until Bo’s arrival, I had thought things were going well.  I mean, it’s not like I saw us getting married or anything, but I figured we’d probably date for the rest of the year.  I had no idea how weak my feelings for him really were until Bo came along.  I felt like Bo had taken my life by storm and now nothing was the same.  Somewhere deep down, I knew it never would be again.

At lunch, I sat in the same place I’d sat for a little over a year: sandwiched between Drew and Summer, with his friends beside him and mine beside Summer.  I’d never felt more out of place. 

Listening to them talk about the same things over and over again was getting on my nerves something fierce.  It further aggravated my already sour mood, a mood which I knew was in direct correlation to Bo’s curious absence.  I hadn’t seen him all day, not even a glimpse in the halls, and now he wasn’t anywhere to be found at lunch either. 

I felt like a drug addict in need of a fix, and knowing that he’d upset my life to this point only added to my irritation.

I saw Savannah sitting by herself at a picnic table out on the lawn.  She was reading something, munching on a carrot and I took the opportunity to discreetly observe her.

She was striking in her appearance.  She had vibrant red hair and I thought probably soft brown eyes, though I’d never really been close enough to see for sure.  Like most redheads, her complexion was fair, but where others were plagued with freckles, Savannah’s skin was creamy.  She reminded me of a beautiful china doll.

Someone called to her and her head shot up.  She waved and laughed and then put her nose back in the book she was reading. 

I looked around for the person she’d responded to.  It was a guy.  Another sophomore I think, one that plays basketball.  I searched my mind, but couldn’t readily retrieve his name.

Still looking for Bo, I glanced all